Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia

Hala Alhodaib, Turki M Alanzi Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Turki M AlanziDepartment of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, I...

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Autores principales:	Alhodaib H, Alanzi TM
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Dove Medical Press 2021
Materias:	impact digital health strategies covid-19 saudi arabia Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/84cb514e2a744d07a4b278dd36a12394
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:84cb514e2a744d07a4b278dd36a123942021-11-11T18:22:26ZUnderstanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia1179-1594https://doaj.org/article/84cb514e2a744d07a4b278dd36a123942021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.dovepress.com/understanding-the-impact-of-digital-health-strategies-during-the-covid-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RMHPhttps://doaj.org/toc/1179-1594Hala Alhodaib, Turki M Alanzi Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Turki M AlanziDepartment of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaTel/Fax +966 133331211Email talanzi@iau.edu.saBackground: The impact of COVID-19 has been analyzed from various aspects on the health care services management, accessibility and delivery of health care services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in health care services, which led to the increase in adoption of digital health technologies, mostly arising out of need and necessity.Objective: Focusing on the prevailing situations (increasing reliance on digital health services), this study investigates the impact of digital health technologies from the perspectives of policymakers and citizens.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Twenty-seven semi-structured online interviews were conducted with experts and policymakers for assessing the impact from policymakers’ perspectives. An online survey questionnaire instrument was used to collect the responses from 1698 Saudi Arabian citizens in relation to the various aspects of digital health applications.Results: Health care expenditures increased during the COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in launch of various digital health applications. While policymakers defended their stand in improving health care services and accessibility; citizens reflected inability to book medicines/personal medical equipment online (Mean=2.4) and suffered a lack of personalized care (Mean=2.9) through digital health applications. Moreover, disparities exist between the population groups with respect to the accessibility, utilization, and perceptions of digital health technologies.Conclusion: Policymakers have to consider and address these differences in formulating digital health policies and implementing them.Keywords: impact, digital health, strategies, COVID-19, Saudi ArabiaAlhodaib HAlanzi TMDove Medical Pressarticleimpactdigital healthstrategiescovid-19saudi arabiaPublic aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENRisk Management and Healthcare Policy, Vol Volume 14, Pp 4581-4594 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	impact digital health strategies covid-19 saudi arabia Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	impact digital health strategies covid-19 saudi arabia Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Alhodaib H Alanzi TM Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
description	Hala Alhodaib, Turki M Alanzi Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Turki M AlanziDepartment of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaTel/Fax +966 133331211Email talanzi@iau.edu.saBackground: The impact of COVID-19 has been analyzed from various aspects on the health care services management, accessibility and delivery of health care services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in health care services, which led to the increase in adoption of digital health technologies, mostly arising out of need and necessity.Objective: Focusing on the prevailing situations (increasing reliance on digital health services), this study investigates the impact of digital health technologies from the perspectives of policymakers and citizens.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Twenty-seven semi-structured online interviews were conducted with experts and policymakers for assessing the impact from policymakers’ perspectives. An online survey questionnaire instrument was used to collect the responses from 1698 Saudi Arabian citizens in relation to the various aspects of digital health applications.Results: Health care expenditures increased during the COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in launch of various digital health applications. While policymakers defended their stand in improving health care services and accessibility; citizens reflected inability to book medicines/personal medical equipment online (Mean=2.4) and suffered a lack of personalized care (Mean=2.9) through digital health applications. Moreover, disparities exist between the population groups with respect to the accessibility, utilization, and perceptions of digital health technologies.Conclusion: Policymakers have to consider and address these differences in formulating digital health policies and implementing them.Keywords: impact, digital health, strategies, COVID-19, Saudi Arabia
format	article
author	Alhodaib H Alanzi TM
author_facet	Alhodaib H Alanzi TM
author_sort	Alhodaib H
title	Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
title_short	Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
title_full	Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
title_fullStr	Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
title_full_unstemmed	Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
title_sort	understanding the impact of digital health strategies during the covid-19 outbreak in saudi arabia
publisher	Dove Medical Press
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/84cb514e2a744d07a4b278dd36a12394
work_keys_str_mv	AT alhodaibh understandingtheimpactofdigitalhealthstrategiesduringthecovid19outbreakinsaudiarabia AT alanzitm understandingtheimpactofdigitalhealthstrategiesduringthecovid19outbreakinsaudiarabia
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Understanding the Impact of Digital Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia

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